Statement of the Problem
Malaria is one of the leading cause of maternal and prenatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries, Nigeria is not excluded (Okeke et al., 2005). Regrettably, there seams
to be a lot of misconceptions about the aetiology of this fatal disease among women attending antenatal clinic at federal medical center as observed by the researcher. Having misconceptions about the aetiology most likely lead to adoption of wrong preventive measure against the disease and treatment and modalities and it this trend is left uncorrected, leads to more maternal and fatal deaths as result of this disease, hence this study.Purpose of the Study
The overall aim of the study is to evaluate and investigate malaria in pregnancy among women attending antenatal clinic in Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki. Based on the above, the following objectives were set for the study a. To access the knowledge of the causative agent of malaria among the pregnant women.
b. To identify the preventive measure adopted among the pregnant women against the occurrence of malaria.
c. To identify the treatment of modalities opinion for malaria among the pregnant women.
Research Questions
From the above purpose, the following research questions were used.
1. What is the knowledge of causatives agent of malaria among the pregnant women?
2. What are the preventive measures adopted among the pregnant women against the occurrence of malaria.
3. What are the treatment modalities used by pregnant women for malaria.
Significance of the Study
The study is significant because it will expose the perceived cause of malaria, the measure for prevention and treatment and the knowledge of malaria risk factors by these pregnant women. This will in turn help health workers to discover areas of need and therefore device appropriate measures in from of health education, campaign and counseling in the appropriate preventive and treatment measures. Health workers can also facilitate the adoption of proper preventive and treatment measures by providing prophylactic anti-malaria drugs at subsidized rates or even making it free and providing insecticide treated nets at subsidized rates. It is expected that when the right malaria related knowledge attitude and practices and imbibed, it will reduce, the rate of maternal and prenatal mortality caused by malaria.
Scope of the Study
The study involved only the pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The research is also limited to the study of pregnant women's perception of causative agent of malaria preventive measures used treatment modalities and risk factor of making in the selected health centers.
Operational Definition of Term
• Perception of Malaria: An idea or belief one has about malaria.
• Pregnancy Women: These are women confirmed pregnancy through pregnancy test and are attending antenatal clinic.
• Preventive Measure: Are adequate steps of means taken to avoid contracting a particular disease.
• Treatment Modalities: Different plans or options available in treating a particular disease.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of Malaria in Pregnancy
Malaria is a serious infections illness which is as a result of presence of plasmodium in the human body and its transmission is by an infected female anopheles mosquito when it bits human being. Malaria has clinical features which may include periodic fever, chills, sweating. Loss of appetite, body pain etc. in pregnancy the clinical features becomes more serer as compared with non-pregnant state (Wagbatsoma et al., 2008) in sub-sahara Africa, malaria in pregnancy is an important and a major contributing factor to the high material mobility and mortality (Steketee et al., 2001) and about 47% of pregnant women is diagnosed of malaria in Nigeria (Nigeria government in action 2003). In areas of stable malaria transmission the ill health effects are particularly apparent in primigravida and secondigravida (WHO, 2004), Similarly, malaria in pregnancy has many, adverse effects on the developing fetus as a result of placental parasitaemia which can lead to improvement of feotal nutrition, low birth prenatal or neonatal death (Mcgregoran Avery. 1974). In area of Africa with stable malaria transmission, plasmodium falcipariurn during pregnancy is estimated to cause about 75, 000 to 200,000 infant deaths each year (Skeketee, 2004).
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